Saturday, November 22, 2008

GEMMA : The Senses

The Senses in relation to the Design Process

Most often, the design process is seemingly depicted by the sense of sight. Seeing a design, pointing out flaws in its visual appearance or improving aesthetics that does not yet quite make it work for the client. However this is not always the case.Within the design process lays key fundamentals to every successful design. As well as the most obvious being sight, the process also includes sound, smell, taste and touch.

It is important to use all your senses throughout the design process. As Munari suggests in his statement, “Every facet of the design process has to maintain a relationship with the senses…” we are able to draw conclusions about relating different senses to different stages of the design process. The senses can be described as the following:

Touch - allows a physical connection between the actual design and both the client and designer. This sense can also be referred to as the ‘feel’ of the design and the colours or images that may be chosen to give this impact on the public.

Sight - allows you to give a description of the design, what something looks like. Therefore, in relation the design process, one is able to make adjustment on how it could look better, be improved, or what they feel already is working well and appropriately.

Sound - lets you know what is happening. It is a basis of communication in the design process. Listening to target markets, clients, designer’s opinions and research all act as key elements to any successful design.

Taste - although one sense which is more likely to be forgotten in this process is sure enough impacted on through the design process of a product. As designers, we ask ourselves; how should a design look visually when considering a design for a certain kind of consumable product?